Who doesn’t love to shop? Well actually a lot of people don’t and if you’re one of them this article might not be for you. That being said the markets of Central Asia aren’t just for clothes and souvenirs, they’re also great places to try local food and get a feel for the local people and their culture. All these markets are open every day, however they all start winding down mid-afternoon, so best not to get there too late.
Chorsu Bazaar, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Chorsu Bazaar is a must-see tourist attraction, not because of what is sold but because of the amazing architecture. The main produce hall is one of the most amazing examples of Soviet architecture, combining futurism with traditional Uzbek Islamic styles in what really looks like a UFO.
Conveniently served by the Chorsu metro station, it’s a must-see for any visitors to Tashkent. Chorsu is a Persian word meaning ‘crossroads’. Chorsu is quite unique in that it still has a large livestock sales area, despite being in the centre of a modern city. The variety of fresh fruit and vegetables and the amazing colours are sure to have your mouth watering. Luckily there is also a great food court selling hot meals and beverages.
Russian Bazaar, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
The main bazaar in Ashgabat is Tolkuchka and was relocated some years ago to 20 minutes north of the city centre. It was also built extremely large and is not that great to walk around. To really experience Ashgabat it’s better to head to the Russian Bazaar. Russian Bazaar isn’t actually the name of this market, it’s actually the Gulistan Bazaar, however even many locals don’t realise this. Its name came about simply by the fact that the area surrounding the market was primarily a Russian area.
It’s completely undercover, which is great for those scorching Turkmenistan summer days and sells everything you’ll need. Fresh food and souvenirs. There’s also some great take away/street food options here ranging from kebabs to pastries and even stews.
There are also smaller local bazaars in the suburbs of Ashgabat such as the Ai Teke Bazaar, but the Russian Bazaar is the go to. Although we decided the Russian Bazaar is better than Tolkuchka, (which also has a different official name – Altyn Assyr Bazaar, this is common in Turkmenistan), if you do happen to be driving past, it’s quite interesting to have a quick look at since the market is designed in the shape of a carpet.
Full list of Turkmenistan tours
Green Bazaar, Almaty, Kazakhstan
The Green Bazaar or as it’s known by locals Zelyoniy Bazaar, is possibly the oldest continuous market in all of Central Asia. Opening in 1875, the market was destroyed several times and changed its official name even more times, however it always retained the name Green Bazaar by the local population. For much of its existence, a lot of the market was outdoors, then in 1975 the current Brutualist main hall was built. Then again in 2017, the remaining outdoor parts were covered. The Green Bazaar is a great place to see horse meat being sold, lots of different milk products and also a significant number of Korean shops selling local Korean salads and sushi rolls.
Osh Bazaar, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Located in the western part of Bishkek, Osh Bazaar sells everything you’ll ever need from traditional clothes to fresh food, whitegoods to souvenirs, beds to knives. Osh Bazaar is a bit more of a maze than the others on this list as it’s a hotchpotch of seemingly temporary and out of place structures all strangely joined together. It’s also probably the busiest of the bazaars on this list and therefore lots of pushing and shoving can take place.
The Osh Bazaar is divided into two main parts, the Green Market (not to be confused with the Green Bazaar in Almaty) which sells primarily food and produce, and the Kiyal Market which sells almost everything else you can imagine.
Siyob Bazaar, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Samarkand is known as the Pearl of the Silk Road for a good reason, it’s an amazing city full of some of the most spectacular architecture and an incredible history. However, with this comes tourists and with tourists come tourist prices. What’s weird about Siyob Bazaar is that despite being in the centre of the city right next to the Bibi Khanum Mosque, it’s still a genuinely local place with local prices. The Siyob Bazaar is a great place to get your souvenirs and have lunch at the same time. They have a particularly big hat collection if a traditional Uzbek hat is what you’re looking for.
Afghan Market, Khorog, Tajikistan
The Afghan market in Khorog is a unique experience. The market itself is right on the border of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Once a week Afghans are allowed to come to the market to sell their locally made produce and goods. For many this is an amazing opportunity to see Afghans first hand. Unfortunately, due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan the Afghan Market in Khorog isn’t operating. Hopefully this will change at some point in the not-too-distant future as it is both an amazing tourist site as well as a much needed chance for the local Afghan population to earn some much needed income.
Full list of Afghanistan tours
If you'd like to see some or all of these bazaars, check out all of our Central Asia tours .
